3.6 magnitude earthquake hits Tulare County

Residents living in the southeast portion of Tulare County had their Sunday night interrupted by a magnitude 3.6 earthquake.

The earthquake hit just after 7 p.m. east of Porterville and affected the surrounding cities of Three Rivers and Springville.

Usually, the highest intensities are measured near the earthquake epicenter and lower intensities are farther away. The epicenter of the Sunday’s earthquake was near Springville. More than 30 people reported feeling light tremors, according to United States Geological Survey.

Lorena Mendoza, an employee at Springville’s El Nuevo Mexicali III, said first thing Monday morning employees were asking if anyone felt the quake.

“One of my ladies asked me if I felt it,” she said. “I didn’t feel anything even though I heard it was 3.5 [magnitude].”

Springville’s Chamber of Commerce said no businesses or community members have reported damage, but many felt the shake. No injuries were reported.

“We did feel it,” said Amanda Toledo, an employee at the chamber. “It was a little shake and I thought, ‘I think that was an earthquake.’”

Residents in Three Rivers, Porterville and Hotsprings also said they felt tremors. A total of 73 residents living in the area reported the incident to USGS.

The closest quake to Tulare County was more than 356 miles away. A 2.9 magnitude earthquake was reported Sunday evening in Northern California near Kelseyville. No injuries or damage was reported in Kelseyville.

An earthquake of 4 or lower magnitude is considered “weak” by USGS standards.

Residents wanting to share their experience with USGS can visit https://earthquake.usgs.gov